IMPROVED VILLAGE IS PLAN'S GOAL

Tony PerriCHICAGO TRIBUNE

The Village Board has unanimously approved a plan to deal with the problems of drugs, gangs and blighted conditions in the village.

Called the Village Improvement Plan, it consists of organizing residents in 10 village sections or neighborhoods into volunteer groups that would try to identify and attack the problems in their areas with village help.

According to the resolution, the plan was developed as a response to residents' concerns about the illegal sale and use of drugs; gangs; the deterioration of housing structures by overuse or a lack of physical maintenance; and obsolete and inadequate facilities.

Volunteers will kick off the plan March 16, going door-to-door in an area of more than 800 residents. They will be armed with questionnaires designed to enlist volunteers, assess problems and get residents' suggestions, according to section leader Don Raef.

The first targeted section is bounded by Helms Road on the south, Illinois Highway 25 on the west and the village limits on the east and north.

Local businesses and developers are involved in funding the campaign, according to Raef, a 38-year resident of the village.